Their ‘Speckles’ are showing

Faces of Ag: For Anthony Wilcox, cattle shows have always been a family affair

Anthony Wilcox, along with his dad and grandpa, raise purebred Simmental and Speckle Park cattle near Treherne. Photo:
Geralyn Wichers

Anthony Wilcox bought his first Speckle Park cow for a simple reason: his wife liked them.

“I thought that they were really good looking,” said Ariel Wilcox.

Speckle Park, a breed developed in Saskatchewan, is known for its black and white, dotted pattern. The smaller-framed animals are generally hardy, good mothers and produce quality carcasses, according to the Canadian Speckle Park Association.

“Cookie,” a Speckle Park Clubby cross, arrived on their farm as a Christmas present for Ariel. She still lives there, but now she has company.

Today, Anthony is president of the Central Prairie Speckle Park Alliance, which promotes the breed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He, his father and his grandfather, own a purebred cow-calf operation nestled in a valley just outside Treherne. They raise Simmental and Speckle Park cattle.

Wilcox Livestock

The Wilcox family farm was founded in the early 1970s, Anthony said. He’s technically the third generation to farm it, though his family lived in town when he was a kid.

His grandparents were 4-H leaders, and his parents were 4-H kids. Anthony’s parents have a picture of him, 11 months old, holding a 4-H calf.

About the author

Geralyn Wichers grew up on a hobby farm near Anola, Manitoba, where her family raised cattle, pigs and chickens. Geralyn graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2019 and was previously a reporter for The Carillon in Steinbach. Geralyn is also a published author of science fiction and fantasy novels.

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